Adam Ulrey's Montreal Expos Diary

August 13, 2002 - Game 118
O'Leary's homer in 8th dooms Dodgers 4-3

Eric Gagne didn't want to make his hometown fans happy. But Troy O'Leary hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning to give the Expos the 4-3 win over the Dodgers and knocked them out of the Wild Card lead. Gagne (1-1) entered the game with two outs in the eighth to a standing ovation and Vladimir Guerrero on first base. O'Leary then hit the very first pitch thrown by Gagne over the right field wall for the lead and the win. Gagne then walked Fernando Tatis on four pitches before getting Andres Galarraga to hit the ball to deep right field to end the inning. It was Gagne's first loss of the season, and only his third blown save in 42 chances.

"Anyone who can read a scouting report knows I'm throwing a first-pitch fastball, the problem was the location," Gagne said. "If you locate the fastball, it's no big deal." Guerrero was looking for the fastball. "I know he throws real hard," Guerrero said. "I just wanted to try and make good contact and get the head (of the bat) out so maybe something like that would happen."

Michael Barrett led the nine-hit attack of the Expos going 3-for-3 with his fourth stolen base of the year. Jose Vidro and Guerrero each had an RBI in the first inning to help give the Expos the early 2-0 lead. Tomo Ohka was stellar tonight, pitching seven very strong innings, giving up just six hits and one earned run. He struck out five and walked none in lowering his ERA to 3.41. Scott Stewart came on in the ninth to pitch to just one batter to get his 16th save in 18 chances. He struck out the only batter (Mike Kinkade) he faced on four pitches.

The win brought the Expos back to .500 at 59-59. Guerrero's 32 homers this season marks the fifth consecutive year he has topped the 30-homer mark. Before Guerrero, there were only five 30-homer seasons in team history. Rusty Staub hit 30 in 1970, Gary Carter had 31 back in 1977, Larry Parrish hit 30 in 1979, Andre "the Hawk" Dawson had 32 for the 1983 Expos and Henry Rodriguez hit 36 in 1996.